


The Remains of Clan Lavellan

by CthulhuKitty13



Series: The Daughters of Vivial [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Clan of two, F/F, F/M, Fianna has issues, I'm Sorry, Mentions of Death, POV Multiple, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, Reunions, Solavellan aftermath, Thedas just can't catch a break, There will be some later in the series, This story is only just beginning, part one of ???, there's no smut in this one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 00:36:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21519034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CthulhuKitty13/pseuds/CthulhuKitty13
Summary: “Andraste’s true bloodline, if it exists, lies solely in the descendants of Vivial, and the suspicion of my order is that it produces only daughters.” – Sister Galenna of the Augustan Order, 9:12 DragonA year after the Exalted Council, and the official “disbandment” of the Inquisition, trouble stirs once more as a fleet of ships under an unknown banner takes control of the city-state of Wycome. After receiving word of the invasion, from a person long thought dead, Varric calls on his allies to stem the tide of the unknown threat.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Original Character(s), Female Lavellan/Solas, Female Mage Inquisitor/Sera
Series: The Daughters of Vivial [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551022
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thanks in advance for giving this story a chance! (I didn't mean to rhyme just then) This is the first part of an on going series that I've been mulling over for the past few years. I plan on updating as often as I am able, considering current events. This is my first real attempt at fan fiction, so I ask you to please be kind in the comments but feel free to leave constructive criticism. I hope you enjoy it!  
> If you are a returning reader, I just wanted to let you know that the story has changed slightly. I have changed the starting place for the story and, as such, the original chapter 1 onward will begin at chapter 5. I am also in process of reediting the story to fit better with the current storyline of Bioware's tie-in books and graphic novel series. Thanks in advance for your understanding and I hope you enjoy the updated version of the story.

** Chapter 1 **

Fianna

Fianna winced as she slowly opened a drawer. Despite the growing sense of urgency overwhelming her, she knew being careless would get her caught. The slightest noise could alert the guards outside. She was supposed to be injured and resting, not walking around and packing for a journey. It was only a matter of time before the officials investigating the Duke’s death realized she had lied. She need to put as much distance as possible between herself and Wycome before that happened.

She was relieved when the drawer slid open quietly. She began pulling essential items from each drawer of her dresser and stuffing them into her pack. Once her pack was filled with her meager belongings she made her way toward the bed. She carefully removed a coin purse from under the mattresses and added it to her pack. Satisfied that nothing had been forgotten, Fianna headed toward the rear of her small hovel and peered out of the window.

She spotted one of the guards at the end of the alley. He was facing away from the hovel but, to her dismay, was blocking her intended escape route. With a sigh she turned and slowly made her way to the front door. It wouldn’t be ideal, she thought to herself, but if she had to change her plan, so be it. She looked through the small window in the door only to have her view blocked by the back of the other guard’s head. Fianna cursed silently realizing that she might be trapped. A sense of panic threatened to overwhelm her as she contemplated her options. After several minutes she had calmed herself enough to come to a decision. Determining that the alley would be the better option as a means for her escape, Fianna returned to the window at the rear of the hovel. Staring into the darkness she waited for an opportunity for escape to present itself.

The minutes felt like an eternity as she watched the guard stand unmoving at his post. Fianna grew impatient as the moon made its way into view over the tall walls of the Alienage.

“ _At this rate,”_ she thought to herself, _“I’ll never be free of the city in time.”_

As if sensing her restlessness, the guard began to move. Fianna stood for a moment in horror as she realized that instead of moving away, the guard was approaching the window. Panicked, she dropped to the floor and crawled under a nearby table.

She watched as the flickering light of a lantern grew brighter outside. Soon after the glow was accompanied by a face staring in through the glass. Fianna watched as he began to slowly scan the room. As the light came closer she realized that her eyes would reflect in the glow and quickly shut them. Unable to see, she listened intently for a sound that would tell her she had been seen. She prayed to the Creators the she would go unnoticed. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears that she was certain that the guard could hear it too. Just as she thought her heart would give out, the chime of alarm bells filled the air.

Releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, Fianna opened her eyes and scurried to the window. Glancing out she was relieved to see that the guard was gone. She took the opportunity without hesitation; throwing open the window and securing her belongings. She climbed through the window and dropped to the mucky ground below. Taking a cursory glance at her surroundings confirmed she was alone in the alley. In the distance more bells had joined in and the Alienage was alive with sounds of confusion and panic. Fianna began jogging down the alley hoping the commotion would continue to aid in her escape.

Despite the residents now pouring into the streets in ever increasing numbers, the alley remained empty. Fianna navigated her way through the filth covered passage, glancing momentarily at the street beyond whenever she passed an intersection. Each time the crowd was larger than the last and Fianna guessed that every home in the Alienage would soon be empty. She was close now; the alley ahead of her turning as she reach the Alienage’s northern wall. She followed the passage toward the street and could see the gate growing closer. Suddenly an explosion rang out, distant yet clear. In the street the frightened crowd gasped. Fianna stopped as she saw a group that had broken away from the crowd rushing the gate.

She had pressed herself against the wall and watched as a squad of guards appeared from the gate to stop the group from exiting. A young elven man ran ahead of the mob and was swiftly pushed back by a guard. The man stumbled back onto the hard packed dirt with a thud. Another elf stepped forward to help the young man to his feet. The guard reacted by unsheathing his sword, as did the rest of the guards as they stepped forward to form a line. The first guard began shouting over the frightened masses ordering them to return to their homes.

An angry cry erupted from somewhere within the crowd followed by a bottle being thrown. The bottle flipped through the air, smashing into the guard’s helmet. As if it were a signal the frightened crowd joined the mob and rushed forward in an attempt to overwhelm the guards. Fianna watched as swords cut into the crowd, driving them back. Howls of pained joined the chaotic symphony of bells and explosions the filled the night air. Like a battle cry, the pained sounds whipped up the crowd even more and they surged forward.

The guards were forced to fall back, but were quickly bolstered by in number by the remaining guards at the gate. Soon after, the guards began to advance once more. The sounds of the injured and dying citizens made Fianna’s head swim. Gritting her teeth, she shook off the memories threatening to overtake her. She steeled herself from her emotions as she pushed herself away from the wall and ran toward the now abandoned gate.

***

As she reached the edge of the gate she saw him; a lone guard. Thinking fast, Fianna slipped into the shadows and approached the man with her daggers drawn. Unlike her fellow elves fighting the guards head on behind her, Fianna was no fool. She knew she would stand no chance against someone in full plate armor on her own. Instead she drew on her knowledge as a hunter. Slowly, methodically, she snuck toward her prey. At the first opportunity, she struck. The guard let out a strangled cry as she slit his throat. Her grunts were drowned out as she struggled to pull the corpse from view. She wiped the blood from her dagger using the guard’s pant leg and stood. Keeping to the shadows, she made her way into the city.

On any given day the streets of Wycome were bustling with people. Now, however, it was more like a disrupted anthill than a busy city. People pushed past Fianna in all directions. The panic had left the citizens with little regard for their surroundings. Mothers cradled screaming infants and men tried desperately to herd their families toward a safer route for escape. On more than one occasion Fianna found her path impeded by a crowd of frightened people blocking an intersection or side street. After what felt like ages, her frustration and desperation to escape hit a fever pitch. Ducking down a narrow alley, Fianna stopped to think. She scanned the small passage for only a few moments before she spotted a downspout. She shook the metal roughly to test its sturdiness and, satisfied that it could hold her weight, she began to climb. Reaching the edge of the roof was tedious and nerve-wracking but, after a few minutes, she was able to pull herself onto the roof. She stood and brushed what she could of the soot and grime from her coat. Taking advantage of the view, she began to observe the city below.

Down on the streets the citizens of Wycome continued their futile scrambling. The streets were congested in every direction with the frightened masses. Another explosion drew Fianna’s attention toward the harbor. In the distance she could see the fire and smoke that was engulfing the dockside warehouses. The boats and ships moored at the dock glowed in the dark water like great lanterns as they burned. Looking beyond the docks, Fianna could see a fleet of ships firing toward the remaining vestiges of the city’s naval force. She strained her eyes in an attempt to figure out who the attackers were. The Qunari were quickly ruled out as the ships looked nothing like the description of dreadnoughts she had heard. After further observation she was certain that they were not Tevinter nor the Felisima Armada either. In fact she didn’t recognize the symbol on their flags at all.

Below her the streets erupted into further chaos. Fianna scanned the streets and saw a stampede of people rushing toward a nearby square. She made her way, one rooftop to the next, until she reach a narrow gap. Fianna hesitated momentarily as she stared at the alley below. She backed up and set her aim for the next roof. Ignoring her doubt, she began to run. As she reached the edge of the roof she leaped forward, a pang of fear hitting her as she passed over the alley. Landing on the other side, Fianna used the momentum to quickly scale the sloped roof and slid down the other side. Grateful to whomever had designed Wycome’s crowded, narrow layout she continued on her path until she reached a building overlooking the square.

Looking down, she saw a massive crowd of people filling the square from every direction. The sight confused her. Although the square led to the main road out of the city, even on that road the people were hurriedly rushing toward it. It wouldn’t take long until she learned why.

***

As the streams of people cleared the streets they were quickly replace by rows of soldiers. Fianna crouched down and watched as they filed into the square and surrounded the citizens. It was clear to her now that the people had been herded into the square, but Fianna wasn’t sure for what purpose. Horns blared from the main road announcing a procession of standard bearers marching toward the crowd. Among the sea of banners Fianna could see a woman. Her elaborate robes trailed behind her as she walked, and the way she held herself told Fianna that this was someone of importance. The insignia on the banners, Fianna noted, matched the symbol she had seen earlier on the ships. A white triangle floating in waves of blue silk. The robed woman raised her arm and the horns fell silent. Around the square the soldiers stood at attention with an uncanny synchronicity as the woman prepared to speak.

Fianna didn’t stay to listen to the speech, deciding that it was the perfect opportunity to continue her escape. She begrudgingly removed items from her pack. This exit from Wycome wasn’t what she had planned. She would have no cover for her exit; no group she could hide among. She would have to used stealth and speed, something that a heavy pack wouldn’t allow. She carefully wrapped her coin purse in layers of clothes and removed all but the most basic essentials. She looked wistfully at the few treasured items she would have to leave behind before slowly making her way toward the gate.

She travelled across the rooftops carefully. She kept her pace quick but light, as if stalking prey; quiet enough to not draw attention, but fast enough to stay out of view of anyone who might look up. From a distance she could still hear snippets of the robed woman’s speech. She tried to commit the main points to memory as she continued on. Soon she reached the last building and made her way down to the street.


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter 2 **

Flight

The road leading to the city gate was lifeless. Fianna stood in the shadow of the gatekeeper’s house and scouted the path ahead. Not far in the distance she could hear the speech coming to an end. She picked absently at the stone and mortar as she formulated a new plan for her escape. Despite the lack of soldiers within view in or around the gate Fianna had no doubt that the city was surrounded, to leave on her own would leave her open to attack. She needed some sort of distraction.

Shouting suddenly erupted from the direction of the square. The protests from the citizens grew louder and more agitated with every second that passed. Fianna could almost picture the scene. It was clear that the Marcher spirit was prevailing over their fear. The people weren’t going to give in without a fight.

As if on cue, the sounds from the square grew violent. Fianna froze in her hiding place, listening to the fighting. Once again the sounds of anguish and battle threatened to overwhelm her. She slumped back against the wall and let out a quiet sob before collecting herself. She allowed her anger to boil to the surface as she steeled herself for the inevitable fight to come.

The rumble of hundreds of feet on the cobbled road echoes off of the old stone buildings. Fianna glanced out from her hiding place cautiously and saw a large group of people fleeing in her direction. Thinking quick, she joined the group as they passed her and made her way out of the city.

Just as she had presumed, the fleeing crowd exited the city only to be ambushed by a waiting army. Fianna unsheathed her daggers as she pressed onward. Keeping to the middle of the throng she hoped that her shorter stature would allow her to continue unnoticed until she could get far enough from the soldiers to make a break for the forest. All around her she could hear the screaming of those unfortunate enough to be caught or skewered on the end of a sword. She tried to block out the sounds; these Shems didn’t matter, she told herself, they were just a shield to keep her safe.

The screams grew louder and Fianna looked over her shoulder to see a soldier on horseback cleaving through the crows to her right. She allowed herself to slow her pace, careful to avoid much jostling by the crowd. She made her way nearer to the crowd’s right flank, crouching slightly and daggers at the ready. As the horse began to pass she struck at its legs. The contact between moving flesh and steel jolted her forward. Instinctively, Fianna rolled and sprung back to her feet. Looking ahead she watched as the injured creature collapsed into a nearby ditch, crushing its rider under its heavy frame. Now with the knowledge that the invaders had horses, Fianna once again altered her plan. 

She quickly made her way down to the injured animal and crouched beside it. She could see the pain and fear in its eyes as she gently stroked its snout. Fianna continued to stroke the creature as she raised her dagger. She quietly shushed reassuringly as she granted the creature an end to its misery. With the horse dealt with, she turned her attention to the solider.

“Why are you here?”

The soldier stared at Fianna but remained silent.

“I asked you a question!” Fianna growled, pulling off the soldier’s helmet.

The woman reached into the neck of her armor and pulled out an amulet emblazoned with a sun.

“Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter,” she raised the amulet to her lips and kissed it, “Blessed are the peace-“

Fianna staggered back as the woman began to convulse. She watched in horror as a frothy white foam spewed form the soldier’s mouth. Just as suddenly as it had begun, the woman was still.

‘Mythal’enaste!”

She didn’t have much time to react to what she had witnessed before the sound of hooves rapidly approached.

Fianna quickly ran toward a nearby cart and crouched in its shadow. She listened intently as she heard the horse come to a stop. A moment later she heard the sound of boots crunching gravel as they approached. From her vantage point she watched as the soldier approached their fallen comrade. They crouched down and placed a hand the corpse’s face. Fianna heard a murmured prayer and took it as the opportunity to make her move.

Stealthily as she could manage Fianna moved from the darkness. She glanced toward the soldier and was relieved to see that they had taken no notice of her. With a silent prayer to the Creators she ran toward the horse and flung herself up and into the saddle. Back in the ditch the soldier quickly sprang to their feet, Fianna could hear the soldier’s protests growing closer. She held the reins as tight as she kicked the horse’s sides hard. Soon the soldier’s voice grew more and more distant as the creature began charging through the fields.

***

Fianna slumped low in the saddle as she rode. Arrows flew past her, barely missing their mark. The forest grew larger in the distance and she prayed that she would reach the tree line before being fatally wounded. Another arrow whizzed by her ear and she urged the horse to go faster. The beast was already at its limit and neighed loudly in protest.

Ahead of her the ground abruptly dipped and Fianna struggled to stay in the saddle. Behind her on the ridgeline her pursuers stopped and dismounted. She could hear orders being shouted at archers to take aim.

Only a matter of yards stood between her and the forest’s edge.

Twenty.

Ten.

“FIRE!”

Fianna braced herself as she heard the twang of a dozen or more arrows being loosed. The sound of trees being struck rang out shortly after and Fianna thought she was in the clear. She breathed a sigh of relief which was cut short as an arrow struck her in the upper arm. Hollering in pain, she stopped the horse and flung herself out of the saddle.

The horse began to run back toward the ridge, snorting wildly. The archers hesitated, not wanting to injure one of their own horses. Fianna used the lull in the attack to her advantage and sprinted toward the tree line. She heard the order to take aim once again, much further behind her now. Desperate to escape a second volley, she flung herself forward. She landed hard in the brush just in time to hear arrows striking the trees around her. She stood, wincing in pain. Looking down at her arm she could see the broken shaft of the arrow still lodged in her arm. The fall had twisted the arrowhead, partially unsealing the wound. Blood slowly ran down her arm and Fianna knew she would need to find a healer as soon as she could. Her intended destination of Kirkwall was at least a week’s walk away and she doubted any of the smaller villages between where she stood and either Markham of Hercinia would have a healer. Even if they did, she highly doubted that they would be willing to help an elf. Her best option would be to find a Dalish clan, but the likelihood that any clan would venture so close to Wycome was low. She decided that she would make her way toward Hercinia and hope that she encountered a clan on the way.

The sound of thundering hooves broke Fianna’s concentration and she swiftly began to make her way further in the forest. She was terrified, but reminded herself that she had an advantage. The Dalish were far better than Shems at navigating through a forest and she would lose them soon enough. With her confidence somewhat renewed she quickened her steps and slipped into the shadows of the forest.

Fianna made her way deeper into the forest. The sounds of her pursuers had grown more distant, but she knew she had to press on, the pain in her arm had intensified as the adrenaline from her flight wore away. Despite the need to stop and treat it as best she could, Fianna knew she couldn’t. Her first priority had to be getting as far away from Wycome and her pursuers as possible. Eventually they would have to call off the search. That’s what she told herself anyway. From the brief breaks in the canopy above she could see that the sky had become increasingly lighter, signaling that dawn was swiftly approaching. Fianna’s body was slowly but steadily giving in to exhaustion. It would only be a matter of time before she would have to give in, so she began looking for a place to hide and rest.

Her eyes grew heavy as she continued to shuffle along. She chastised herself. Had only a few years removed her resilience? As a hunter she had trained to track prey without rest. Only the master huntsman had more stamina on a hunt than she. She blinked wearily but quickly opened her eyes as she felt her foot catch on an exposed tree root. Despite her efforts to steady herself she fell. She tried to push herself up as she strained to hear anything to tell her she had been heard. Nothing. Just the sound of birds chirping in the distance as they woke. Fianna sighed as everything faded to black.


End file.
